Aleppo / AFP Syria’s army pushed forward in Aleppo on Sunday as thousands fled rebel-held areas but its forces lost ground to the south where the IS group recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra. After a sudden withdrawal by regime forces, IS extremists made a lightning-fast advance across Palmyra, sparking new worries for its remaining ancient treasures. Forces loyal to …

  Baghdad / AFP US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter held talks in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss the coming stages of the offensive to retake the city of Mosul from the IS group. Carter flew to the Iraqi capital on an announced visit to “survey key locations directly supporting the battle for Mosul”, the Pentagon said in a statement. The United …

  Cairo / AFP A bomb blast tore through a church near Cairo’s Coptic cathedral during a service on Sunday, killing at least 25 people in the deadliest attack in recent memory on Egypt’s Christian minority. There was no immediate claim of responsiblity for the bombing. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population. At least 31 people were …